US 12,478,396 B2
Tongue retractor
Ira Sanders, Oakland, NJ (US); Jon Buzzard, Palm City, FL (US); Asif Amirali, New York, NY (US); and Cliff Dwyer, Weston, FL (US)
Assigned to Linguaflex, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA (US)
Filed by Linguaflex, Inc., Pittsburgh, PA (US)
Filed on May 15, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/665,037.
Application 18/665,037 is a continuation of application No. 16/468,817, granted, now 12,016,583, previously published as PCT/US2017/066132, filed on Dec. 13, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/433,509, filed on Dec. 13, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2024/0299055 A1, Sep. 12, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61F 5/56 (2006.01); A61B 17/24 (2006.01); A61B 17/00 (2006.01); A61B 17/04 (2006.01)
CPC A61B 17/24 (2013.01) [A61F 5/566 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00814 (2013.01); A61B 2017/00907 (2013.01); A61B 2017/0409 (2013.01); A61B 2017/0417 (2013.01); A61B 2017/0464 (2013.01); A61B 2017/248 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of treating a breathing disorder comprising:
providing a tissue retractor comprising a head member, an anchor member, and a shaft extending between the head member and the anchor member; and
inserting the shaft of the tissue retractor into the soft tissue of the tongue base of a patient,
wherein, after the insertion of the shaft, the shaft extends diagonally in a lateral direction at an angle with respect the centerline of the tongue.